The Universalist. [volume] (Chicago [Ill.]) 1884-1897, 1887-11-05


was not disobedient to the heavenly
vision. Lord, what wilt thou have
me do ?" he said, when the Divine call
came to him and the moral nerve of his
being was made sensitive; and he en-
tered resolutely upon the path Of duty
disclosed going forward without falter-
ing until the end came.
1t was by much the same Indictment
that all the apostles acted in entering
upon labors which they would never
have thought of undertaking had not
Gods hand been laid upon them, and
they been given an enduement Of power
from on high. So they became wit
nesses for Christ; both in Jerusalem,
and in all Judea, and in Samaria, and
even unto the uttermost parts Of the
earth. They were faithful to the i'm
mediate, local work that first presented
itself, and then to that Of larger enter
prise. They wrought most efficiently,
being moved by sense of duty, and
filled and led by the Divine Spirit.
"For our gospel came to us not in word
only, but in power, and much assurance,
and in the Holy Ghost"
Their love for the truth was special
incentive to their missionary labors.
They believed in the gospel as absolute
truth-the highest and best truth for
the whole world. They did not bal
ance it with old PHILOSOPHERS and pagan
systems, as If doubtful whether or not
it was preferable to these, but they
presented it as the uppermost and
farthermost revelation of truth-truth
communicated by one who spake as
never man spake, and whose words
carry with them an authority for all
ages and for all lands.
1t is this same love Of truth, an inten-
sity of conviction in its behalf, that i'm
pels to every effort in the PRONUNCIATION
of Christianity. If we believe that we
have something to give the world, bet
ter than it has yet received, something
which commands our entire confidence
as the very truth Of God, we shall find
that we are impelled to work for the
| advancement of the ideas and principles
thus commended to us. We can but
feel an interest in the enlargement of
any doctrine, or system, or creed, which
really binds our thought and under
standing.
And love of our fellow men, recog-
nizing them as our brethren, is no
less powerful impulse to the perform
ance of the duties of related life. Who
will be so apt to rise out of apathy,
and undertake missionary labors, as the
man who stands squarely on the doc
trine of the common brotherhood of
man Z? Who will have such heart of
compassion to feel for human woes, or
such strong hand to reach out in help,
as he who sees brother in the suffer
ing man, though at the farthest pole
The Samaritan who ministered to the
wounded Jew no doubt was moved by a
sense of his duty to render benevo-
lent service; but think he had real
interest in the man who was in extreme
need, and was actuated by force of
sympathy and good will, such as is al
ways generated by realization of the
truth that God has made of one blood
all nations and peoples, and that there is
really but one family named to God the
Father through Christ the Son.
In the line of the same thought l ask
you, what prompted devoted young
woman, in the city of New York, within
the last month, TO undergo the ordeal
of ten days. confinement among lunat-
les in the Black Wells Island Insane
Asylum-she herself being clothed and
in her right mind 2 What the impelling
purposep What the strong, constrain-
ing motive? Was it not motive of
sympathy--a feeling of pity for those
poor abused ones Was it not that she
uOpcu W dLuOllUldtc unO cuAOAluSo VI
those poor unfortunates
Recognizing the solidarity of the race
one can hardly say that the paramount
object of life is personal comfort, or
that the chief duty in the way of relig-
ion is to save ones own soul, careless
if the greater part of the world go to
perdition. Quite otherwise; for he will
be impelled to those disinterested SER
vices for human good which so much
brighten and bless the world. He can
not help committing himself heartily to
some form of missionary activity.
George Eliot, an unbeliever in some
things, put this feeling into the impas-
stoned lines that may well be taken as
the prayer of every noble, human soul
''Oh, may join the choir invisible
OF those immortal dead who live again
In lives made better by their presence;
For so to live is heaveni
Oh, may but reach that purest heaven,
And be to other souls
That cup of strength in some great agony;
Enkindle generous ardor, feed pure love,
Regret the smiles that have no cruelty;
BE the sweet presence of good diffused,
And in diffusion even more intense;
So shall join that choir invisible
Whose music makes the gladness of the world"